On the other side of the forest, Hinata had taken Lily to wash up.
As the cool stream water flowed over her, Lily finally felt some of the weight in her chest lift. It wasn't just her body being cleansed; her nerves, frayed from years of fear and neglect, began to loosen under the gentle touch of nature.
Hinata's pale eyes, however, noticed something that made her freeze. Lily's arms, now bare in the sunlight, were covered with scars. Not fresh wounds, but old marks jagged, circular indentations. Hinata leaned in, her delicate fingers tracing one of the deeper scars.
"These… are bite marks," Hinata whispered, her voice trembling. They weren't animal bites. They were unmistakably human. Old and new, shallow and deep, scattered like a grotesque pattern across Lily's skin.
Lily glanced down at her arms as though they belonged to someone else. "They're from my village," she said flatly, her tone resigned.
Hinata's heart clenched. "Why would they do that to you?"
Lily hesitated. Hinata's eyes, warm and compassionate, made it harder for her to keep silent. Finally, she muttered, "My body is… different. If someone bites me, they heal faster. Their wounds close, their chakra recovers. So… they bite me."
Hinata's fists clenched. "They used you like a walking blood pack?" The anger in her voice was sharper than she'd ever used before.
Lily's lips pressed into a thin line. "Isn't that just how the world works? Weak people… get treated like this."
Her words were spoken so calmly, so matter-of-factly, that Hinata's anger only deepened. She took Lily's hand, her voice firm. "No. The world shouldn't be like this. You're Naruto's kin. You shouldn't go back to that place. Stay in Konoha. Stay with us."
Lily's eyes widened. Hope flickered there, fragile and hesitant. "But… I'm from Grass Village. Could I really just leave? Would Konoha even accept me?"
Hinata nodded firmly. "Let's talk to Naruto. He'll know what to do."
The two girls returned to the campsite, where the smell of roasting meat filled the air. Naruto and Sasuke were in the middle of splashing each other with water from the river, laughing like children at play. Lily blinked in surprise, a smile tugging at her lips.
"I thought they'd be cold and distant," she whispered. "But… they're just boys."
Hinata laughed softly. "Naruto's always like that. As for Sasuke… he only shows this side when he's with Naruto."
Noticing the girls' return, Sasuke quickly stopped fooling around and turned his attention back to the grill. The meat was nearly done.
Hinata led Lily closer. "Naruto, look at her arm," she said, her voice tight with anger.
Naruto tilted his head, frowning as he saw the scars. "Bite marks? Why would anyone bite you?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as well, studying Lily in silence.
Hinata's voice sharpened. "Her body heals others when they bite her. Grass Village treated her like a tool like a blood bag."
Naruto's brows drew together, anger flashing across his face. "They did what?!" He had suffered from loneliness and rejection in Konoha, but this… this was beyond cruelty.
"Was it always like this?" he asked.
"Yes," Lily said quietly. "Even my mother was treated this way. It's the only way we were allowed food. This… was our duty in Grass Village."
Hinata's voice trembled with restrained fury. "Naruto, please. Let her stay in Konoha."
Naruto turned to Lily, his voice steady. "Do you want to go back, or do you want to stay?"
"I want to stay," Lily blurted out, without hesitation. The thought of returning to that nightmare made her stomach churn.
"Then stay," Naruto said with a smile. "Toss away that Grass forehead protector. You don't need it anymore."
Lily stared at him, stunned. Slowly, she lifted the scratched metal plate from her neck and let it fall to the ground. "That's it? Just like that… I'm free?"
Naruto scratched his head. "What, do you want me to destroy Grass Village before they'll let you go?"
Lily gaped at him, speechless. She hadn't meant that at all!
Sasuke, on the other hand, looked intrigued. "Does your village leader have Kage-level strength?" he asked coolly.
"I… I don't think so," Lily admitted nervously.
"Then there's no problem," Sasuke replied simply. His tone was casual, but his eyes glinted with lethal intent. If Grass didn't have a Kage-level shinobi, he could tear through them himself.
Lily shivered. Was he serious? He probably was.
"And if they did?" she asked carefully.
"Then Hinata and I would handle it together," Sasuke said matter-of-factly.
Hinata's eyes softened, but she didn't argue. Lily lowered her head, realizing just how far removed she was from the strength and confidence these three carried.
"My real worry is… will Konoha accept me?" she whispered.
Naruto waved the concern away. "Don't worry about that. I'll talk to Grandpa Third. Once I explain, it'll be fine."
"Grandpa Third? You mean… the Hokage?" Lily asked, startled.
"Not exactly," Hinata said with a smile. "Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage."
Lily gasped, eyes wide. The Fourth Hokage's son… No wonder Naruto spoke with such confidence. If he was willing to stand up for her, then perhaps… perhaps she really was safe.
Sasuke's voice cut through her thoughts. "The food's ready."
Hinata noticed something odd. "Wait… when did we get a tiger?" she asked, blinking at the freshly roasted meat.
"Oh, I thought the bear might not be enough, so I hunted another one," Naruto said casually. "Saved our examiner too, while I was at it."
"You saved one of the proctors?" Hinata asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Don't know what happened to her, but she was exhausted and surrounded by tigers. My shadow clone handled it." He shrugged like it was no big deal.
Hinata frowned slightly. "If even the examiners are in danger… could it be connected to Orochimaru?"
Naruto's expression hardened. "Doesn't matter. If I see that snake again, I'll be ready. This time, I'll kill him. But for now let's eat."
He handed Hinata a perfectly roasted bear paw. Her face lit up with happiness as she accepted it.
Sasuke quietly offered the other paw to Lily. "Here."
"Thank you," Lily said softly, clutching it like a precious gift. For the first time in years, she felt warmth not from stolen bites and forced suffering, but from acceptance, from people who didn't see her as a tool.
For the first time, she allowed herself to believe she might belong somewhere.
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